WWE SummerSlam 2017: 8 Things WWE Got Right

8. Getting The Throwaway Matches Out Of The Way Early

Baron Corbin John Cena
WWE.com

This year's SummerSlam could have done with a little fat trimming before Sunday night. Matches like Randy Orton vs. Rusev, John Cena vs. Baron Corbin, and Finn Bálor vs. Bray Wyatt all felt throwaway, and it was hardly necessary to have two poorly-built Women's Title matches on the show either.

Just as well WWE's writers decided to pack the front of the card with most of these bouts then. Despite fans blowing up on social media about poor Rusev's fate, it was also smart to keep his match with Randy Orton short. Maybe not that short, but it was wise to get such a meaningless showdown out of the way quickly.

The second half of the show was vastly superior to the first. Out of the final four matches, three were worthwhile and there was little filler. It seems the creative knew there was so much throwaway on the lineup, and they had to find a way to blast through it.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.